Richard Benjamin Harrison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Benjamin Harrison
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| Born | March 4, 1941 Danville, Virginia, U.S.
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| Died | June 25, 2018 (aged 77) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
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| Other names | The Old Man (nickname) The Appraiser Benny |
| Occupation | Businessman Reality television personality |
| Years active | 1981–2018 |
| Spouse(s) |
Joanne Rhue
(m. 1960) |
| Children | 4, including Rick Harrison |
Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. (born March 4, 1941 – died June 25, 2018) was an American businessman and TV star. People often called him "The Old Man" or "The Appraiser". He was famous for being the co-owner of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. This shop was featured on the popular TV show Pawn Stars on the History Channel. Richard Harrison opened the pawn shop in 1989 with his son, Rick Harrison.
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Richard Harrison's Early Life
Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. was born in Danville, Virginia, on March 4, 1941. His family came from Ireland. When he was one year old, his family moved to Lexington, North Carolina.
His family was not wealthy. To help out, Richard started driving a school bus when he was just 14 years old. He would park the bus at his house every night. Then, he would wake up early to pick up the students. For this, he earned a small amount of money each week. He went to Lexington High School but left before finishing his last year.
When Richard was 17, he met Joanne Rhue at a dance. They got married in 1960. Before their marriage, Richard made a difficult choice to join the military. He entered the United States Navy in October 1958.
Richard and Joanne had four children. Their first child, Sherry, was born with a health condition. She sadly passed away when she was six years old. They also had three sons: Joseph, Rick, and Chris. Richard left the Navy in 1962. However, he rejoined 14 months later. He did this to get health care benefits for Sherry's medical needs.
Richard served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years. He worked as a paymaster and reached the rank of petty officer first class. He served on four different ships. His last five years were on the tugboat USS Chowanoc.
In 1967, the Navy moved Richard to San Diego, California. While he was still in the Navy, his wife Joanne got her real estate license in 1970. She opened her own office in 1973. After Richard left the Navy in 1979, he worked part-time with his wife. However, their real estate business faced problems. They lost a lot of money, and the business closed in 1981.
Starting the Pawn Shop Business
In April 1981, Richard Harrison and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. They only had $5,000 left. Richard and his son Rick opened a small shop called Gold & Silver Coin Shop. It was only 300 square feet.
Five years later, they moved the business to a bigger building. They stayed there for two years. In 1987, they got a special license. This license allowed them to buy and sell secondhand goods. Richard and Rick had always wanted to turn their shop into a pawn shop. However, a Las Vegas law made it hard to get a pawn license. The law said only one pawn license could be given for every 50,000 people.
By 1989, Las Vegas had grown a lot. Its population reached 250,000. After some effort, the Harrisons finally got their pawn license. That year, Richard and Rick opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. It was located on Las Vegas Boulevard South. By 2005, they were lending out about $3 million each year. This brought them about $700,000 in interest money.
The most common items brought into the shop are jewelry. In 2011, the shop had 12,000 items. About 5,000 of these were items held for pawn. Richard was usually the first person to arrive at the shop in the morning. By 2010, he had not missed a day of work since 1994.
By 2006, the shop was known for having special sports items. These included a 2001 New England Patriots Super Bowl ring. Gamblers also came to the shop. They would often pawn something to get money for gas to go home.
Becoming a TV Star on Pawn Stars
From July 19, 2009, until he passed away, Richard Harrison starred in the TV show Pawn Stars. He was on the show with his son Rick, his grandson Corey, and their friend Austin Russell ("Chumlee"). The show was on the History Channel.
On the show, Richard was often shown as quiet and easily annoyed. Chumlee joked that Richard was "old and cranky." Richard himself said, "My role on the show is to be an old grump."
Within ten weeks of its first episode, Pawn Stars became very popular. It was the highest-rated show on the History Channel. It was also the second highest-rated reality show. During this time, the number of customers at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop grew from 70 to 700 per day. By February 2012, between 3,000 and 5,000 people visited the store every day.
Awards and Special Recognition
Richard Harrison and the other stars of Pawn Stars received several honors:
- In March 2010, the Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, gave them the key to the city.
- On May 26, 2012, they were special guests at the History 300 NASCAR race.
- On May 29, 2012, Richard received a key to his hometown, Lexington, North Carolina. The day was also named "Richard Harrison's Day."
- On July 17, 2012, the Clark County Commission declared it "Pawn Stars/Gold & Silver Pawn Day." Richard gave $1000 to the Clark County Museum. He also lent a chair that belonged to a U.S. Senator for a museum display.
- Richard and Rick were nominated for the 2012 Time 100 list. This list features the most influential people in the world.
Richard Harrison's Personal Interests
Richard Harrison loved automobiles. He owned several interesting cars. One was a 1966 Imperial Crown. It took him 15 years to convince the previous owner to sell it. His son and grandson restored it for his 50th wedding anniversary. He also received a 1957 Chevy 150 sedan from the stars of other History Channel shows.
Richard was usually called "The Old Man." He earned this nickname when he was 38 years old.
Richard Harrison's Passing
Richard Harrison passed away on June 25, 2018. He had been battling Parkinson's disease. He was survived by his wife Joanne, three sons, 10 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Richard put his son Rick in charge of his estate. After his death, Pawn Stars aired a special episode called "A Treasure Remembered." It showed clips from the show and interviews about him.
Images for kids
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Richard Benjamin Harrison
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Richard Harrison in his Navy uniform
See also
In Spanish: Richard Benjamin Harrison para niños
